Contents
Current Groups
How to Register
Guidelines for Participation
Frequently Asked Questions
Current Drop In Groups
Our regularly scheduled survivor support groups meet on Tuesdays. Support groups take a pause twice a year, once usually in December and once during a summer month. The pause can vary in terms of how long it is. This helps our team organize and prepare for upcoming groups and projects.
Women’s Support Groups: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Pacific Standard Time and 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time — for women and gender diverse people who have been affected by violence against women (including nonbinary folks, two-spirit people, and other gender-expansive people). Note: Women’s Support Groups will be cancelled October 29 but will resume as scheduled November 12th.
LGBTQIA+ Support Group: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 5:30 PM -7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time — for members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Note: Queer Support Groups will be cancelled November 5 but will resume as scheduled November 19th.
Support groups take a pause twice a year, usually in December and during the summer. The pause can vary in terms of how long it is. This helps our team organize and prepare for upcoming groups and projects. We will update our website and social media with information related to the pause and inform participants who are currently registered through email in advance of the pause. We also ask participants to re-register for groups during these pauses as we reset our registration. More information will be sent out through email regarding re-registration to the participants who have already registered. We thank you for your patience with us during those times.
Special Topic-Focused Groups and Workshops
In addition to our regular drop-in groups, SASS hosts special topic-focused groups and workshops. Some recent topics include:
– Navigating romance, sex, and dating for survivors
– Healthy sexuality for survivors
– Supporting parents and caregivers of survivors
– Dealing with family stress
Follow us on social media or check back in here to be notified about future special groups and workshops!
Secondary Survivor Group Series
SASS is hosting a three-part support group for Secondary Survivors this fall. A secondary survivor is someone with a loved one that has experienced sexual violence. Secondary survivors can be intimate partners, parents, friends, coworkers and community members. The purpose of this group is to create a space where secondary survivors can express their feelings, share concerns and find community. This group will also provide resources and information on how to take care of yourself as a secondary survivor and common responses and effects of trauma.
The specific group dates and times are listed below:
- September 4th – 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
- October 2nd – 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
- November 6th – 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
How to Register
- Click on the button for the group of your choice at the top of this page and follow the instructions on the form.
- Each person who registers will receive a confirmation email after they submit their form; if you do not receive the confirmation, you can double-check that you entered your address correctly, check your spam folder, re-register, or email support@SASS-lane.org
- Participants will receive an email with an invitation the week before each meeting and they will also get a reminder email on the morning of the meeting day.
Guidelines for Participation
- Protect confidentiality. Ensure that no one else can see your screen, use headphones, and try to participate from a private space. Do not record or capture images of the screen.
- Do not use private message to talk to other participants during the meeting.
- Show up on time — the meeting will be locked after 15 minutes, so you will not be able to enter late.
- Drop-in groups do not have a registration cap, so there’s no limit to how many people can sign up. However, we typically cap drop-in groups at 15 participants for each meeting and we lock the meeting after 15 people have arrived.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any remaining questions, contact support@sass-lane.org
What time zone are you in?
SASS is located in Eugene, Oregon, USA, so all our times are listed in Pacific Time.
I am a clinician and want to see if a support group is right for my client. Can I attend?
No. This is a space for survivors to find community and collective healing. Please respect that this space is only for survivors, and if you are seeking services for someone else, you are welcome to call our crisis and support line or our business line.
Can I get text/call reminders?
No. We only offer support group reminders via email.
Who can participate?
Anyone over 18 years old who has experienced sexual violence in their life is invited to participate in the group that is right for them. The women’s group is for those who identify as women (and welcomes other folks who have been perceived as women or are personally impacted by misogyny), and the LGBTQIA+ group is for those who identify as a member of the LGBTQIA+/queer community.
Do you offer a men’s group?
As of September 2020, the Men’s Online Support Group will be on hiatus due to low community participation and transitions in SASS’s staffing. Anyone interested in being notified about future opportunities can enter their email address into the waitlist form: Click here for the Men’s Group waitlist
How many people are in each group?
For our drop-in groups, we do not limit the number of people who can register, since all people who have registered do not attend each meeting. However, as our groups have grown, we have learned that capping participation at 15 people is best. Therefore, if more than 15 people attempt to drop-in to a meeting, we may have to lock the meeting to prevent overflow. Other groups, such as our special workshops and series, will have different registration caps.
How are support groups facilitated?
Each SASS group is facilitated by at least one SASS staffer, volunteer, or intern (usually two SASS facilitators are present). Facilitators ensure the comfort and safety of all participants, help to facilitate discussion, and present materials to spark conversation. Each group typically includes an ice-breaker, a topic-based discussion, grounding/breathing break, open share time, and a closing practice.
What platform will you be using for online support groups?
SASS’s online support groups will use Zoom. While we strive to provide the highest level of confidentiality possible, Zoom is a 3rd party platform, so we cannot guarantee protection from malicious eavesdropping. By participating in support groups via Zoom, you are accepting that possibility.
What technology do I need?
Zoom is easily accessible through any web browser and via apps for computer or mobile devices. You don’t have to make an account or download anything, though you can make an account and/or download the app for your own convenience. If you would like to participate but don’t have access to these tools, please contact us and we can arrange for you to call in over the phone line.
Why do I have to register?
To ensure confidentiality and safety for all participants, we are asking that people register in order to receive an invitation to join the online meeting. This helps prevent people from crashing or otherwise disrupting the group.
How will you protect privacy?
The only information we are collecting is an email address where we can send the invitation. No identifying information about participants, including the email address used to register, will be stored or shared with any person, organization, or entity. We also require participants to adhere to our guidelines. Participants agree to prevent other people from seeing or hearing the meeting and to never record or screen capture the meeting.
Do I have to use my webcam or my real name?
No! You can choose to share your webcam or not. You can also choose to assign yourself whatever name you are comfortable with. We encourage people to include their pronouns with their name, if they are comfortable.
Are these support groups free?
Yes! Our support groups are always free.
Are support groups the same as counseling or group therapy?
No. Counseling or therapy is a specific type of mental health treatment facilitated by trained and licensed mental health providers. Support groups are led by experienced staff members who are trained to facilitate a group of peers to share their experiences, process their feelings, practice new skills, and support one another in a safe and collaborative environment. If you are interested in individual counseling, please see our Counseling Services page.
Please be aware: there are times when, due to circumstances beyond our control, a support group meeting may have to be canceled with short notice. On those occasions, we update our calendar and post notices to our social media platforms (Facebook and Instagram); you may also always call our business line (541-484-9791) to verify the schedule of our meetings.
Are children allowed to attend?
No, children are not permitted to attend SASS groups. Why are children are not allowed? Research shows that having children present while people are processing trauma may not be healthy for them. Additionally, not everyone feels comfortable discussing their trauma in front of other people’s children, so their presence may be disruptive. Because of this, we cannot allow children in group. Our apologies for any inconvenience this may cause!
We hope one day to have the funding to provide childcare for group participants, however at this time we do not have the resources to provide this service.
SASS Framework for Support Groups
We are committed to fostering a supportive and secure environment for all participants. To achieve this, we adhere to a set of guiding principles that shape how we organize and conduct our sessions. These principles are designed to ensure that participants feel heard, seen and respected.
SASS operates from an anti-oppression standpoint — we know that privilege and oppression affect a person’s experience of trauma and that we can’t separate a person’s experience from their intersecting identities.
Each and every person who attends our support groups deserves care and support. We hope our sessions provide that and we know that being in group can bring up uncomfortable feelings. So we invite participants to reach out to SASS’s 24/7 crisis and support line if you feel like you could use some more support. That line is 100% anonymous and we’ll never ask you to share anything you don’t want to, so if you’ve never called before, this is your invitation to reach out.
We can hold multiple, complicated feelings simultaneously (the “both-and” principle). We can experience sadness and happiness, joy and grief, rage and peace, and more. This understanding helps us see that no one is simply one thing and our emotional experiences are often complex and multifaceted.
Looking for a different type of group than what’s listed here?
Please contact us! We have other groups for various populations in the planning stages, and we’d like to know what folks are looking for.
Contact Information
If you have any remaining questions, contact support@SASS-Lane.org